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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26431945">The Price of Convenience</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geoduck/pseuds/Geoduck'>Geoduck</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Time In-Between [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fruits Basket</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Condoms, Convenience Store, F/M, Gay Character, Humor, M/M, Mystery Character(s), No sex is depicted in the story but it is talked about in a frank and non-euphemistic manner, Okay maybe there is a tiny bit of euphemism, One Shot, Queer Themes, Sexual Content, Suggestive Themes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:00:09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,548</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26431945</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geoduck/pseuds/Geoduck</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's evening. Kyo and Yuki are both planning on spending time with their respective girlfriends.</p><p>There is a certain product they both need to buy.</p><p>In the same store, at the same time.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Honda Tohru/Sohma Kyou, Kuragi Machi/Sohma Yuki, Sohma Kyou &amp; Sohma Yuki</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Time In-Between [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1306421</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>94</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Price of Convenience</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The store was nothing if not discreet. The ‘family planning prophylactics’, known to most people by the more prosaic term ‘condoms,’ were located near other health and toilet articles, but placed on the highest shelf, out of the eyesight, and more crucially, out of reach of the store’s younger patrons.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kyo knew </span>
  <em>
    <span>which </span>
  </em>
  <span>shelf very well. This was far from his first trip to procure birth control. On his first trip to buy the condoms (only three weeks previously, but now it felt like a lifetime ago), he had been very much in a hurry--he wanted to make the purchase as quickly as possible, climb up those dozens of stairs back to the house, and put the ‘family planning prophylactics’ to their intended use before Tohru changed her mind. (He needn’t have been anxious. If anything, she was more even turned on than he was, and she was positively eager to take that next step in their relationship.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And Kyo could see that that section of the shelf was currently empty. The ‘family planning prophylactics’ had all been sold. Which was annoying, but not a huge problem. There were other stores, not too far away, that he could try. And even if he didn’t do that, he knew for certain that he had at least one, hopefully two condoms in the bedside table, which would probably be enough for one more day, unless they attempted another marathon session, which, quite frankly, he had been hoping for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, the problem was not the lack of ‘family planning prophylactics’. The problem was that he was standing right next to the man who apparently was intending to purchase the final two boxes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew this man. He had lived across the hall from this man for just over two years now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He had recently given up on hating this man, and started thinking that, perhaps, he and this man could even become friends. Maybe they were friends already.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If, however, this new friend was standing in the way of Kyo’s chance at enjoying a few hours of sexual ecstasy with the woman he loved, he would need to rethink the whole “friend” thing.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>It was a combined thirty minutes of walking and metro transit to travel from Shigure’s house to Machi’s apartment. There were at least a dozen convenience stores Yuki would pass by in those thirty minutes of travel. He could have stopped at any of them to buy some condoms. But Yuki liked being prepared and planning ahead, so he just had to stop at the first one. The first one, which was also the one closest to the house he lived in. The one closest to the house that Shigure and Miss Honda lived in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The house that, crucially, Kyo lived in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That same Kyo that was looking at the two boxes of condoms Yuki was holding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It would be nice to assume that, perhaps, Kyo had been interested in something else on the shelf instead. Perhaps the denture adhesive, the hemorrhoid suppositories, or the anti-fungal foot cream.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, it was definitely the condoms. Kyo was wanting to buy condoms because he was planning on engaging in sexual intercourse with Miss Honda.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s not that he hadn’t suspected that the two of them were already physically intimate. At home, they were almost always touching each other: be it holding hands or hugging, or kissing. At least once he had seen the stupid ca… he had seen </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kyo</span>
  </em>
  <span> groping Miss Honda on the butt. A groping that, however uncomfortable it made Yuki feel, was welcomed by Miss Honda, given that she reacted to it by kissing him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Based on the accumulation of visual evidence, he would have been surprised if they </span>
  <em>
    <span>hadn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> started sleeping together already.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So sure, he now had confirmation that Kyo and Miss Honda were doing it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Possibly doing it inside the house? Possibly in her bedroom? In her bed?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was he so oblivious that they had been banging when he was just a meter away on the other side of the wall and not noticed?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As much as the thought made him feel unwell, a part of him was impressed at how quietly they had managed to do it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He certainly didn’t have to worry about how loud he and Machi were. Machi’s apartment had good sound-insulating walls, discreet neighbors, and most crucially, Shigure, Kyo and Miss Honda lived several miles away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh yeah, the condoms. So now he definitively knew that Kyo was having sex and Kyo </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> he knew that Kyo was having sex. And Kyo knew that Yuki was having sex and Yuki </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> that Kyo knew that Yuki was having sex.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Could be more awkward. If Tohru knew that I knew that she was… yeah, I’m not sure what the correct etiquette would be for that hypothetical.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuki handed one of the two boxes to Kyo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s not ever discuss this, okay?”  Yuki suggested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kyo accepted the box. “Fine with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, and Kyo--I don’t ever want to hear you claim that I… interfered with your plans for...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kyo blushed. “Shut up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuki smiled. Having teased Kyo about this, he felt like he was in control again. He had been about to say “cockblocked”, but thought the word a bit too vulgar. Besides, if he said it out loud, it would remind him that Kyo was planning on putting </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> cock in Miss Honda’s va… NOPE not thinking about that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And with those unsettling thoughts, Yuki was flustered again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dignity in shreds, Kyo scuttled over to the counter to make his purchase, flee the premises, and nurse his pride in Tohru’s arms (</span>
  <em>
    <span>‘and legs’</span>
  </em>
  <span> said an annoying demon in Yuki’s brain.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Moving to another store aisle, Yuki picked up two bottles of the Machi’s preferred brand of tea, and scanned the prepared food aisle for some snacks. Some </span>
  <em>
    <span>karaage</span>
  </em>
  <span>, a couple of barbeque pork buns, a container of fruit salad for a token attempt at eating healthily, and a bag of potato chips as a reward for having eaten a healthy fruit salad.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With no one waiting in line, Yuki handed his basket to the clerk, who scanned the purchases and bagged them.  Yuki glanced at his cell phone to check the time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“3,140 yen, please. How will </span>
  <em>
    <span>sir </span>
  </em>
  <span>be paying?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was a voice he thought he recognized. He looked up at the store clerk’s face to confirm or deny it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking back at him with a steely glare was ex-student-council secretary Naohito Sakuragi. “Will it be cash, card, or contactless, </span>
  <em>
    <span>sir</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”, he asked with aggressive politeness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah… cash.” Yuki fumbled for his wallet and pulled out three 1000-yen banknotes, which he placed in the tray. He hurriedly reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of change. He managed to fish out one 100-yen and four 10-yen coins, which he dropped onto the notes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, exact change. Very considerate of you, </span>
  <em>
    <span>sir</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Nao picked up the money and placed it in the till.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuki chuckled uncomfortably, “It’s nothing. Good to see you, Nao. Do you like working…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Naohito had not handed the bag over yet. “Thank you for patronizing our store, </span>
  <em>
    <span>sir</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Please enjoy your food purchases as well as your economy pack of Okamoto condoms with large reservoir tip and new-and-improved warming lubricant, </span>
  <em>
    <span>sir</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was feeling nightmarish, now. Yuki half-expected to see his mother walk in the store, and for his trousers to spontaneously disappear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, Naohito held the bag out to Yuki. “Here are your purchases, </span>
  <em>
    <span>sir</span>
  </em>
  <span>. We appreciate your custom, </span>
  <em>
    <span>sir</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Good night, </span>
  <em>
    <span>sir</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuki fled the premises, bag in hand. Beneath his feelings of anger and humiliation, there was a very small part of him that was weirdly impressed at Nao’s ability to somehow </span>
  <em>
    <span>bow </span>
  </em>
  <span>sarcastically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Some hours later, as he lay in bed next to a now-sleeping Machi, Yuki thought about the encounter with his former underling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nao was never </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> pissed off at Yuki, but to that degree?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Probably still doesn’t have a girlfriend.’ Yuki was feeling magnanimous enough to feel some sympathy for the younger--and much shorter--man.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>With nobody else in the store, Nao typed at his phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>&gt; Saw your cousins in here. Ex-pres and orange. They bought the last of the condoms we have in stock.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The phone chimed. </span>
</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>&gt; Lol! Those 2 were buying condoms *together*?</span>
    </em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>
  <em>
    <span>&gt; No, separately. Ex-pres couldn’t look me in the eye, so I had some fun with him.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>&gt; Tell me about it when you come over. When do you get off?</span>
    </em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>
  <em>
    <span>&gt; My shift ends at 9, so, 20 minutes after that. I’m coming straight over. No point in changing clothes here.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>&gt; Mmm, I love a man in uniform.</span>
    </em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>
  <span>Nao snorted. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>&gt; And yet you insist on taking the uniform off.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>&gt; I’m greedy, I like unwrapping my gifts.</span>
    </em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>
  <em>
    <span>&gt; Speaking of unwrapping, like I said, those guys bought the last of our condoms.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>&gt; I’ve got plenty here, don’t worry.</span>
    </em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>
  <em>
    <span>&gt; Sure. Should I bring munchies?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>&gt; You needed to ask?</span>
    </em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>
  <span>Nao thought for a moment, then blushed as he typed one more message.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>&gt; Ich leibe dich</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>&gt; Du bist so süß! You misspelled liebe, though</span>
    </em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>
  <em>
    <span>&gt; Not my fault, it was autocorrect.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>&gt; Sure it was. Anyway, when you get here, I’ll give you another lesson.</span>
    </em>
  </p>
</blockquote><p>
  <em>
    <span>&gt; Will there be a quiz?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>
    <em>
      <span>&gt; There will definitely be an oral test.</span>
    </em>
  </p>
</blockquote>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>(Just to confirm, yes, in this story, Nao and Momiji are boyfriends.)</p><p>Why was Yuki planning on buying *two* boxes? He's a natural hoarder.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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